The end of Eymanism?

As the state’s vote count from Tuesday’s election goes on – and on – returns show that reliable, longtime bastions of support are “Going South” on professional initiative sponsor Tim Eyman.

Is this the end of Eymanism, or even the beginning of the end?

Eyman lost big on Initiative 985, a transportation measure on the 2008 Washington ballot. It carried only in Pierce County, the most conservative major population center in Western Washington.

As of Thursday’s vote count, Eyman’s I-1033 was losing in Pierce County by a 942 vote margin. The initiative would have severely limited growth of state, county and city governments.

Benton County (Richland, Kennewick) is a conservative Eastern Washington fortress that has backed Eyman on $30 car tabs, limits to property tax increases, even a bid to cut off money to Sound Transit.

I-1033 is running 326 votes behind in Benton County.

Seventy-seven percent of voters in tiny Garfield County are saying “No” to R-71, which grants benefits to same-sex partners. But the southeast Washington county is going against I-1033 by a 60-40 margin.
Finally, there is Snohomish County, home to the Mukilteo-based watch salesman who has fancied himself a fiscal watchdog.

Eyman broke onto the statewide scene 10 years ago with Initiative 695, the $30 car tab measure. It won in Snohomish County with 58 percent of the vote, even though it wiped out $500 million worth of transportation projects planned for the county.